Chapter 15 : Let Me Change It

Asher's POV I took a quick moment to sort through my nightmare and the story I'd heard repeatedly about the events from that night 18 years ago. The events I remembered, and the scenes in my dreams didn't add up. Why had my father's voice sounded angry and sad in my dream? I didn't know why he would be so sad about Queen Krisha's death. It wasn't like they were particularly close. At least, not that I remembered. He hadn't even been there, had he? He'd been fighting off rogues and hunting down the assassins. Well, that was what the history books said. What was happening to me? Why was I having these dreams? Why couldn't I see or hear the assassin's face or voice? It was like he was a presence beside me in my dream, dragging me along, but I couldn't remember if I hadn't been near the king and queen that night. I groaned and rubbed my temples. 'Come on, Asher, this isn't worth you obsessing over! Pull yourself together, man. You can figure it out.' I got out of bed, leaving my nightmares behind. My father was expecting me. I was ready to talk to him about Vika being my mate. I also wanted answers about that night 18 years ago. "King Regent Vadon," I said, knocking on the doorframe of his study. "Ahh, Asher, my son, come in," Vadon said, waving me inside. He was standing behind his desk. I bowed when I reached his desk and raised my eyes to his face. Since my father had become King Regent, I felt like I was his subordinate. Every time I saw him, I felt a kind of inexplicable pressure. "I'm not interrupting, am I?" I asked. I looked at his desk, noticing he was looking at a map of the kingdoms of Bitha and Lamen. "No, no, not at all," he said. I watched as he ran his hand through his brown hair. "Dad, I…" "Have you set a date for the wedding yet?" he asked, cutting me off. I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. My dad didn't even notice. "No. I wanted to talk to you about the engagement," I said. Finally, my dad looked at me. His green eyes were sharp and suspicious. "What do you want to talk about?" he asked, arching an eyebrow and putting down that map. "Dad, I don't want to marry Princess Devi," I said, with my heart beating madly. I finally put it out there. He stared at me, his face paled, eyes blank. My shoulders tightened, spine stiff. Oh crap. He was pissed off. Was he going to rip me a new one? 'Calm down, Asher! You are not a little boy anymore. Get ready. He's not going to hold back,' I reassured myself, hoping to stay calm. "Nonsense!" my father yelled at me. "Do you know what you are saying? Is that what a future Alpha should say?" He came up to me from behind his desk. "Asher, you're the strongest he-wolf. You're the future Alpha of Bitha. Did you really think about the meaning of marrying Princess Devi?" "I did, but..." "Then, why did you say that nonsense? You know it means your responsibility is to the pack. You and Princess Devi that is the best match," my father insisted. He even didn't allow me to finish my words now. Since he became Regent King, he appeared to have changed a lot. "It doesn't matter what you want. Asher, you should pay more attention to the whole pack." "No," I argued, "Father, I don't love her. She is..." "Are you questioning me, boy?" my father interrupted me again. He slammed his fist into his desk. I quickly took a step backward. "No, sir," I said quickly, shaking my head. "I don't think Princess Devi has what it takes to be a leader." "That isn't determined by what you think but by her bloodline," my father scoffed. "Dad, will you listen to me?" I growled. He narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. Silence. At least, that meant he was listening. "Indeed, Princess Devi is the daughter of the late Alpha King. She is supposed to be the Alpha of Bitha if she possesses a leader's qualities. the truth is she doesn't. It isn't about what I think or her bloodline. It is about her behavior," I said. My dad rolled his eyes. Yup, this was going to be a good conversation. "Asher, have you heard the wishes from our pack members? They admired the late great King Magnus. They also like you. Devi is the only daughter of their revered Magnus. They believe you are fated." My dad sighed again. "So, your and my personal opinion of that girl doesn't change anything. That's it. You don't get my permission to break off this engagement!" He sat back in his leather armchair and prepared to ask me to leave. "Then, let me change it. I found my mate." I put my hands on his desk. Otherwise, I could not control my anger. My father suddenly frowned. His eyes sparkled as he stood up. "That changes nothing!" he boomed, throwing his hand out to the side. "It will change everything! I care about her even though she's…" "Do not say another word!" my dad hissed and grabbed my collar to force me to look into his eyes. I clenched my jaw closed, my teeth grinding together. If I continued, he might shift and give me a lesson. Vika was my fated mate, and we were arranged by the Moon Goddess. How could my dad dismiss this so easily? "Son, let me tell you what you should do next. You're going to reject this 'mate' of yours, and then you are going to pick a date for your wedding to Princess Devi. " "No!" I gave him my answer firmly. We stared at each other, glaring. My father loosened his hands and snarled at the door. "Maxus, get in here!" he barked. I only had to wait for two seconds before Beta Maxus appeared in the study. "What can I do for you, your majesty?" Maxus asked. "Get my son out of my sight. He needs to calm down," my father ground out through clenched teeth. Maxus grabbed my arm. I pulled away from him and growled. "Don't touch me!" I snapped. "I'm sorry, my highness." Maxus held his hands up. He nodded toward my father's door. I scoffed but followed his lead. There was no point in arguing with my father anymore. I quickly walked away from Maxus. I didn't need him getting in my face. Sighing, I slouched forward. I couldn't believe my father had said that to me. How could he? He once boasted that I was his favorite son and pride and joy. Now, he wouldn't even listen to me. My dad… He'd never been so insistent on anything before. Could being an Alpha King change a person so much? "Damnit!" I shouted into the empty hall. My fist slammed the wall. "Whoa, dude, what's got your pants in a twist?" I heard Malcom's voice from behind me. I whipped around, snarling at him. "Hey, hey, don't shoot the messenger," Malcom said. He smirked and jumped behind a younger boy. "He's Henry. You should have known who he is." Henry. I remembered that he was Vika's younger brother. "What are you two doing here?" I asked, crossing my arms. "Looking for you," Henry said. He put his hands on his hips and looked me up and down. "Overprotective brother?" I asked, grinning. Henry rolled his eyes and scoffed. He had every right to size me up. I imagined that Vika had told someone in her life the truth, just like I had. "Here's the deal. Vika is pretty taken with you. I need you to show me you're actually a decent guy," Henry said. I creased my brow and looked at Malcom. His face was hard as stone. My stomach plummeted into my feet. I tried to swallow, but my throat closed up. Something was very wrong. "What's going on?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. I saw the look that Malcom and Henry exchanged. They both looked back at me, faces blank of expression. "What?" "Shian went after Vika again. Will you save my sister?" Henry asked in a cold voice after he spat out a terrible thing. "I saw she drag your Omega toward Princess Devi's room," Malcom added. My nostrils flared as I clenched my jaw to hold in my anger. It wasn't working. Every bone in my body was rigid, muscles straining against my skin. 'Devi, what do you want? You're not getting away with this anymore!' "Stay here. I will handle it." I took off down the hall to Devi's room.